Wanted: Creative, emotional Artist seeking her tribe of like-minded Artists.🔍My Belief: I believe in creating for self-love, self-awareness, self-discovery, self-reflection, self-guidance, self-healing and introspection. My core belief is that by practicing these things you will become a better person to serve those around you.🔍Have you ever been moved by someone else’s art? Have you ever felt connected in some way to another’s magic?🔍We, as Artists, are healers.🔍My 4 week interactive Expressive Self Portraiture course through The Define School is now OPEN for registration! We will spend 4 weeks online together learning and practicing the tools I give you for creating art for yourself. You will learn how to think outside the box and bring your inner stories to life in a healing and expressive way. In this course I share everything. I hold nothing back.🔍Answer the call and join me by clicking THIS LINK for more information. I’m so damn excited for this! ♥️

My self-portraiture was born out of a dark place, but over time, has evolved just as we all do.💫As I’m sure you can tell, I’m most drawn to mysterious, dark, dreamlike, and oftentimes weird/creepy imagery. I have an active imagination and I enjoy the process of trying to bring it all to life.💫Did you know I don’t use Photoshop to edit my images?💫I truly enjoy the process of bringing my weird ideas to life. Sometimes it comes with its challenges since I can’t easily add in something during post processing.💫This self-portrait was taken in my backyard. I used a smoke bomb in the woods and wore a vintage dress and hat I found at a local thrift store. I kept my face shadowed to add to the mystery of this ghost-like woman in the woods.💫As an introvert I much prefer shooting my self-portraits in my house or on my property, although I do have a funny story or two about shooting in public places!💫Now that I shared a little about my process, what’s yours like? Do you live for the shoot or the editing process? Does your image come to life before or after editing? Or is it a combination of both? Do you prefer to be out in public or hidden?💫Share in the comments below. Also, I’ll make a post soon for those bloopers I’ve experienced out in public!

Have you ever been rejected?.It doesn’t feel good, I know..But what if you used that rejection to fuel your fire🔥 and become even more amazing?.Instead of allowing it to bring you down, let it motivate you..I’ve been checking my email for weeks in hopes of an acceptance email. You usually can tell by the header. “Congratulations!”.Today the email came, except it was a rejection email..For a brief moment I let the sting set in and bring me down. The questions began circling through my mind. How? Why? What could I have done different?.I quickly put a stop to it and decided I would continue submitting to them. After all, what’s the worst thing that can happen?.So many people share their successes and leave out their failures. I’ve been guilty of doing that myself ✋🏼. I think many of us have feelings of shame in rejection and failure. It’s embarrassing..Have you been rejected recently? Or have you had a recent success? Either way, I’d love to hear about it! Comment below and let’s lift each other up and inspire one another.

I used a long exposure to create this self-portrait in September of 2016.✨I had reached a point in my life where I almost felt I was in two places at once.✨Part of me was coming out of this dark place I had been in for what felt like so long.✨I could separate myself from that place and look back at that version of me, and to be quite honest, I wasn’t sure what this newer version of me was all about yet.✨As humans we tend to stay with what feels safe, even if that “safe” isn’t good for us.✨I almost felt as if I were turning my back on myself, which is what led to the concept of this self-portrait.✨You guys, there is one thing I will attest to and that is this-✨Art heals.✨My hope and wish for you is that you allow yourselves the freedom to explore, play, create, make mistakes and know that it’s completely fine.✨Let go of any judgments you have towards your work or yourself. That’s only going to weigh you down and hold you back from all of the greatness that is YOU.

I started teaching piano lessons to children when I was straight out of high school. It was such a fun and rewarding time.

When I had my son at 22 I remember some of the parents would ask me to bring him to the lessons so they could hold him and play with him.

Shortly after my daughter arrived I set piano lessons aside and picked up a camera. I quickly developed a passion to learn more and be a photographer.

It took me YEARS to say aloud that I was a photographer. Piano teacher was all I knew. Who was I to call myself a photographer yet alone an artist?!Now, my teaching continues. I made my dream come true and I teach at The Define School.

But here’s the thing....those children that I taught piano lessons to? They taught me just as much.

The women who have taken my Expressive Self Portraiture class? They have taught me just as much.

Not only that, but they have touched my heart and left an impact on me that’s almost indescribable.

Hi, I’m Sharon Covert! For years I lived under this false belief that you could get to know me through my art alone.

I allowed fear to control what I shared.

I allowed fear to censor my words, my truth.

Fear of judgment. Fear of not being understood. Fear of not being liked.

I hesitated on sharing the good things that have come my way. The things I have worked hard for, all in fear that you would think I’m bragging or being show-offy. I made that word up, but it fits.

I held back my WHY, my reason why I began experimenting with self-portraiture.

All in fear.

This year the one sentence that has come up the most for me in my journal is this-

Lead by example.

It’s small yet profound, and I plan to do just that, for me, my children, my family and friends, and you. I can’t possibly be the only one who has experienced these feelings.And while I may be writing more for YOU to get to know ME better, I also want to get to know you better. Has anyone else experienced similar thoughts and feelings when it comes to your art and social media?

I was never one to set goals for myself, but over the last few years I have made a point to make a list of goals that I wish to accomplish with my photography. While I have crossed off many each year, there was one that I always transferred over to the new year, never giving up hope and determination. I'm beyond thrilled to share with you that I have a feature in the May/June 2018 issue of Click Magazine! If you don't already subscribe, you can find the newest issue in your local Barnes and Noble store. I want to thank all of you who have reached out to me over the last 2 weeks to tell me you saw the feature. That kindness never goes unappreciated. Thank you all so much for support!

Love is Blind will be making its way to Paris this year for ImageNation by DeFactory's Ethereal exhibition! Wait until you see the list of artists from around the world who will be in this group exhibition! You can learn about it HERE and I'll share more details as it gets closer!

I'm pleased to announce that my self-portrait, Artio, will be in the upcoming Myths, Legends, and Dreams exhibition at the PhotoPlace Gallery in Middleburg, Vermont. The exhibition will open on March 7, 2018 and run through March 31, 2018. If anyone is in the area, I'd love for you to stop by and check it out!

I've always felt more connected in nature; connected to my true self, my surroundings, everything living and breathing. My senses are especially heightened, and I am more attuned to what is happening all around me; from the birds singing, the wind rustling through the trees, the crunch of the leaves under the deer hooves, to the distinct, damp smell of fall. There is music to be heard if you just take the time to listen. Every living and breathing thing has a voice in its own unique way, and this is mine.

On an ordinary fall day, I find myself pausing to take in the most mundane of things. Feeling a slight pang of guilt for usually passing this beauty by in the rush of life, I question how I no longer view the world through a child's eyes. In these dried up wildflowers and leaves, I am taught there is beauty in all things regardless of what life stage they are in. This plant life cycles through each season doing exactly what it's supposed to do without distraction. Everything comes together at the right place and time in life. As fall completes its cycle and transitions into winter, I find myself in a transition of sorts; welcoming the dark cold winter season to deepen my practice of being more connected with my body, mind, and soul. Here, I will deepen my connection to Mother Earth and those I share her with.

She does not let anyone tell her who she is. She claimed who she was and is, unapologetically, long ago. She will not be contained. Her strength and spirit cannot be restrained. She knows exactly what makes her come alive, and she does just that. You can try to knock her down, but she will rise up again, and again, and she will be more determined and wiser each time. She is both gentle and fierce, and to know her is to know true love. Our hearts are bound, and our love boundless.